AN NCS VIDEO PREMIERE: BLACK PESTILENCE–“THE DEVIL’S CONNECTION”

Photo Credit – Wikked Twist Media

Let’s cut to the chase and then go back and fill in how we got here.

The video you’re about to see for the new Black Pestilence song “The Devil’s Connection” uses the kind of long tracking shot that has fascinated fans of such works as the 1917 movie and “The Bear” streaming series, even if not nearly as long as those. Bassist/vocalist Valax starts swaggering toward us as the song begins, later slinging his bass over the shoulder just in time to execute his solo in the song, eventually joined by drummer Davey Hellfire and then guitarist Daniel Toews, also just in time for his own fret-melter of a solo.

Like his bandmates, Valax is masked, but you can imagine the vicious rage on his face just from listening to the gritty snarling intensity of his voice. As for the music around that, it’s… crushing.

“Crushing” is indeed the first word that comes to mind when hearing the massive mauling tones of the riffs, like rock being excavated by some humongous machine. That machine drives forward with snapping punk beats, laced with a sinister yet glorious guitar melody. The music itself also becomes more vicious as the riffs start rapidly jabbing and then seething.

But the music also channels darker and more despairing moods, before those two solos kick up the pulse and transform the music into an experience of evil ecstasy. The thing turns out to be a very catchy beast too.

Now, about how we got here…

Three years ago we had the chance to do another Black Pestilence premiere, that one a song from another album (Hail the Flesh) that was then on the horizon. We wrote then:

A dozen years into their career, the masked marauders in Black Pestilence from Calgary, Canada, will be discharging their sixth studio album on May 1st, and it’s a scorcher — a high-flying, hard-hitting, blood-lusting hybrid of black metal, punk, and noise that floods the system with adrenaline.

And now Black Pestilence are bringing us their next full-length, an expulsion of Satanic d-beat named Chaotic Wisdom that’s set for release on September 8th. They’ve shared this statement about it:

We knew that following up Hail the Flesh” would be a tall order. Fortunately, we think we delivered on this album and the fans will get the same infectious sound this band is known for but with a different style of production. For Chaotic Wisdom we unleashed seven Satanic d-beat anthems. It is the result of three years of writing and recording and is the pinnacle of the Black Pestilence catalog.

Similar to previous releases, this album is fast, infectious, and straight to the point. However, experimentation with dissonant tones, industrial electronics, and auxiliary percussion was emphasized to a greater degree on this album. Chaotic Wisdom is not a stylistic change from Black Pestilence, but represents an elevation to the next level of chaotic noise!”

They’ve also disclosed that “many of the song lyrics touch base on various themes related to Satanic philosophy, societal stratification, and general debauchery”.

As we get closer to September you’ll find more info about the album via the links below. The album comes recommended for fans of Midnight, Toxic Holocaust, Impaled Nazarene, and Acidez.

https://blackpestilence.bandcamp.com/album/hail-the-flesh
https://www.facebook.com/blackpestilenceband
https://www.instagram.com/blackpestilence/